Pointers For Motorway Driving

While your driving lessons will teach you an enormous amount, they will not introduce you to motorway driving. This does sometimes lead to people becoming anxious when they first attempt to tackle a motorway, which is completely understandable. However, by sticking to what you have learned during your lessons, you should find that driving on the motorway is fairly simple, as long as you keep all of the following pointers in mind.

Stay Attentive

As you will be driving at higher speeds that you have likely experienced before behind the wheel, it is imperative that you maintain high levels of concentration at all times. This means getting rid of anything that might distract you and ensuring that you keep your eyes on the road. You may need to react quickly to situations, as you would on any other type of road, but at higher speeds you also need to recognize that your ability to slow down quickly is impaired slightly. This means you should keep your distance from other cars and always stay prepared for any eventuality.

Plan The Journey

You will feel much more comfortable when driving on the motorway if you have planned your journey beforehand. This will help you in terms of determining which lane you need to be in and when, in addition to ensuring that you get on and off at the right junctions as smoothly as possible. Take a little bit of time to consult a road map before heading out and check the radio or internet to find out if there are any issues that you need to be aware of ahead of time.

Read The Highway Code

The Highway Code contains a section dedicated to motorways that you need to understand thoroughly before you start driving on them. Spend a little bit of time refreshing your knowledge about speed limits, overtaking and the various other rules that you must abide by when driving so that you can feel more secure and confident in your abilities.

Check Your Car

Mechanical failures can be disastrous on the motorway, especially if you are travelling at high speeds. As such, it is a good idea to check your car for any signs of wear and tear that may be indicative of larger problems. If you don’t feel secure in your vehicle you should not take it onto the motorway, both because a mechanical failure could be very dangerous and because an unreliable vehicle will have a negative effect on your confidence levels.

Consider Pass Plus

Though your regular driving lessons won’t cover motorway driving, there are educational opportunities available for those who want to develop some experience alongside approved instructors. The Pass Plus program is dedicated to helping new drivers learn more about situations that they won’t have encountered during their lessons, with motorway driving being amongst the most important aspects of the program. For a little extra investment you will be able to work with an instructor who can provide you with all of the information that you need, while also gaining the experience that you require to feel comfortable when driving on the motorway alone.